Parking meter



my 6, 1941, Q Q, TUQKER; 240,726

PARKING METER Filed April 22, 1938 6 F 25 ,1 fi Q2 I N V EI V TOR. 6 /54/2125 6. flaw? A TTORNEYS. f

Patented May 6, 1941 UNETED STATES PATENT QFHCE.

PARKING METER Charles 0. Tucker, San Francisco, Calif.

Applieaticn April 22, 1938, Serial No. 203,594

(Cl. 161-l5) 2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in a parking meter, and it consists of the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a parking meter which is designed to be driven by an automobile clock and to indicate elapsed time as soon as a driver stops the engine of the automobile.

time the car is parked. The indicating means shown in the drawing covers an elapsed time of four hours, but it is obvious that the means may be changed to show a longer or shorter period.

Any means desired may be used for automatically connecting the elapsed time-indicating hand to or disconnecting it from the clock mechanism. I have shown an electrically controlled mechanism that will disconnect the elapsed time-indicating hand from the clock mechanism when the generator of the automobile starts functioning. The device is designed primarily to aid policemen in checking the length of time automobiles are parked in time-zoned areas. The device may be placed in the car, preferably on the instrument board and in a position where the elapsed time hand may be readily viewed by a person standing near the car.

The invention is extremely simple in construction and is durable and efficient for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which Figure 1 shows a plan view of an automobile clock with the elapsed time hand operatively applied thereto;

Figiu'e 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Figure 4;

Figure 3 is a section along the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of a portion of Figure 4.

In carrying out my invention, I provide an automobile clock indicated generally at I. This clock has a dial 2 thereon with the hours indicated at 3. A circular row of numbers, shown The purpose of the parking meter is to provide a simple means that will indicate the i Cal at 4, indicates elapsed time, and the distance between the numbers is divided into spaces 5, each space indicating a period of five minutes in the present disclosure. It is obvious that the elapsed time figures may be altered to show a greater or a shorter length of time.

A minute hand 5 moves over the numbers indicated at 3 and so does likewise an hour hand 1. An elapsed time-indicating hand 8 moves over the row of numbers shown at 4 and normally rests against the stop 9 when the engine of the automobile is operating. I will first describe the mechan sm for operating the time keeping hands 6 and 1 and then will set forth the mechanism for operating the elapsed time hand 8 and will show how this latter hand is automatically connected to the clock mechanism when the engine is stopped.

In Figure 3, I show a shaft ID that may be rotated either by a spring actuated clock mechanism or an electric clock mechanism. The shaft H1 is rotated one revolution for each hour and since the minute hand 6 is mounted on the shaft, it will be rotated one revolution per hour. The shaft I0 carries a small pinion II that meshes with a gear l2. The gear I2 is mounted on a shaft l3 and carries a pinion l4 that meshes with a gear l5. The gear IS in turn has an integral sleeve l6 that is rotatably mounted on the shaft Ill. The sleeve I6 carries the hour hand I. The ratio of the gears H to IS inclusive is such as to cause the hour hand 1 to make one revolution every twelve hours. The parts just described are standard in construction and form no part of my invention except in so far as they cooperate with the parts now to be described.

The gear l5 meshes with a gear I! that is rotatably mounted on a shaft IS. A gear I9 is keyed to the shaft l8 and is frictionally connected with the gear I! so as to rotate therewith. The connection is effected by a disc clutch 2|] that is rigidly secured to the gear l9 and shaft l8, and is yieldingly held in contact with the gear i1. Figure 4 shows an arm 2| pivoted at 22! and bearing against the top of the shaft l8. A spring 23 tends to swing the arm 2| downwardl in Figure 4. with sufiicient force to cause the disc clutch 20 to operatively connect the ears l! and i9 together. A rotation of the gear I! will therefore rotate the ear IS.

The gear l9 meshes with a gear 24 that in turn is mounted on a sleeve 25. The sleeve 25 rotates on the sleeve I6 and carries the elapsed timeindicating hand 8. A normal rotation of the shaft ID will therefore not only move the hands 6 and I over the dial, but will also move the hand 8 over the numbers 4. The gear ratio of the gears l5, l1, l9 and 24 is such as to cause the hand 8 to make one complete revolution in four hours. Should the elapsed time extend beyond this four hour period, the hand 8 will come to rest against the stop 9 and thereafter the gear I! will merely rotate with respect to the clutch 20 without rotating the clutch.

The means for automatically returning the elapsed time hand back to starting position comprises a magnet 26, see Figure 4, that is electrically connected with an automobile generator, not shown, by Wires 21. When the automobile is started, the generator will send an electric current through the magnet 26 and this will energize the magnet. A keeper 28 is pivoted at 29 and the energizing of the magnet will move the keeper and lift a pin 30 upwardly, see Figure 4. This pin is connected to the arm 2| and the upward movement of the pin will raise the arm 2! against the tension of the spring 23 and will free the disc clutch 20 from the gear IT.

A hair spring 3| is connected to the shaft l8 and to the clock frame 32 at 33. The spring 3| is strong enough to rotate the shaft 18 and bring the hand 8 back to zero reading when the clutch 20 is freed from the gear 11. The spring 3|, however, is not strong enough to counteract the spring 23 when the magnet 26 is de-energized, and therefore the arm 2! will cause the clutch toconnect the gears l1 and I9 together. This will rotate the shaft IB and increase the tension of the spring 3!. to again return. the hand 8 to starting position when the automobile engine is started.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the hand 8 is normally connected to the clock mechanism and will indicate elapsed time. The hand is automatically disconnected from the clock. mechanism when the car is started and the generator sends an electric current through the magnet.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made The spring will be ready 1 within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. The combination with an automobile clock including a clock train of gears, of an auxiliary gear continuously rotated by the gear train, a time-indicating dial, a hand movable over the dial to indicate elapsed time, a second gear operatively connected to the hand for moving it, a shaft rigidly secured to the second gear and rotatably supporting the auxiliary gear, a stop for abutting the hand at zero position on the dial, a spring for yieldingly returning the hand into abutting relation with the stop, a clutch for connecting the shaft with the auxiliary gear, a spring-pressed arm bearing on the shaft for moving the clutch into operative position, the clutch overcoming the tendency of the shaft spring to return the hand to starting position, and electrical actuated means for releasing the spring-pressedarm and for freeing the clutch, whereby said shaft spring will return the hand to starting position, said electrical means holding the clutch in inoperative position so long as it is energized.

2 The combination with an automobile clock including a clock train of gears, of an auxiliary gear continuously rotated by the gear train, a time-indicating dial, a hand movable over the dial to indicate elapsed time, a second gear operatively connected to the hand for moving it, a shaft operatively connected to the second gear to drive the latter, a stop for abutting the hand atzero position on the dial, a spring for yieldingly returning the hand into abutting relation with the stop, a clutch for connecting the shaft with the auxiliary gear, a spring-pressed arm bearing on the shaft for moving the clutch into operative position, the clutch overcoming the tendency of the spring to return the hand to starting position, and means for releasing the spring-pressed arm and for freeing the clutch, whereby said spring will return the hand to starting position, said means holding the clutch in inoperative position as long as said means remains active on the spring-pressed arm.

CHARLES O. TUCKER. 

